Exercising Race horses...

spotty_pony2

spotty_pony2

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I have applied too do some part time exercise riding at a race horse yard near me. I am a freelance groom/rider and have ridden lots of different types of horses and go hunting with my horse, etc but no experience with race horses. Have been honest about this and am going for a trial next week, looking forward to it but feel like I am going into it blindfolded a bit!

Any tips, experiences most welcome as I will admit I am a little nervous as this is all new to me! :o
 
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Dress appropriate for the weather :D

Racehorses are dead easy to ride. Loose reins and long stirrups = walk or lob, short reins & stirrups = faster work. Most wont stand to be mounted, most yards have a mounting block. Don't try and put your stirrups up too short, you wont be used to it, you'll be unbalanced and will have no ability to actually ride the horse under you. Go up 6-8 holes to start with and see how it feels, go up or down appropriately.

Oh and your legs will KILL your after! A full days hunting hasn't got a patch on 6-8 furlongs up out of the saddle with short stirrups :D
 
So I don't have to ride really short to start with? That's good as that is one of the things I was worried about as I am fairly tall. What is a lob?? So do they not always go out galloping?I did say I know nothing! :o
 
Nope racehorses can walk, trot, lob canter, nice canter, work canter and gallop! A week in our yard for example goes - Monday walk and trot on the roads, Tuesday - easy canter twice up the gallops, Wednesday - work day, 4x up, steady first time single file, 2nd time easy swing upside, 3rd good strong canter, 4th a good working gallop. Thursday - quiet lob 2x up gallop in single file, Friday - 3x up at an easy swing upsides, Saturday - same as Wednesday, Sunday - day off on the walker.

Honestly with stirrups just make sure you are comfortable, short enough to be up out of the saddle and so you can put your weight behind you but not so short as you are unbalanced.
 
One thing I found was that jumping off st the bottom of the gallop took me by surprise at first!! I then grabbed the horses mouth and tried to take a pull which was an epic fail and we over took everyone else... bridge your reins and keep your hands still they very soon settle! (Wish someone told me that before my first time!)
Oh and EKW saying your legs will kill, she's not joking ;)
It's brilliant fun, enjoy
 
poiuytrewq said:
One thing I found was that jumping off st the bottom of the gallop took me by surprise at first!! I then grabbed the horses mouth and tried to take a pull which was an epic fail and we over took everyone else... bridge your reins and keep your hands still they very soon settle! (Wish someone told me that before my first time!)
Oh and EKW saying your legs will kill, she's not joking ;)
It's brilliant fun, enjoy
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Yes your neck strap will be your bestest friend! You only need a finger or two from one hand looped through it but it will be enough to stop you socking them in the gob.

And as poiuytrewq says - It's good fun for the most part, I wouldn't still be doing it nearly 14 years down the line if it wasn't!
 
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